Lifeboat



Mar. 27, 1923.

M. CHAMBERS ET AL.

LIFEBOAT.

FILED JUNE 24.1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- Inventors: Ma 0% Chambers I Yanc W Chambers Mar. 27 1923.

M. CHAMBERS ET AL.

HFEBOAT.

men JUNE 24, 1921.

2 suns-mini 2.-

m NR

[rm/anion; Maciz Chamz er W Chamber's,

Yancy Patented .Mar. 27, 1923.

r main MACK CHAMBERS AND YANCY W. CHAMBERS, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FIFTH TO JOHN E. CHAMBERS, ONE-FIFTH TO PERCY TANSIL, AND ONE-FIFTH 'IO ALLEN CHAMBERS, ALL OF EAST ST. LOUIS,

ILLINOIS.

Application filed June 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we MACK CHAMBERS and Yancy IV. Cnaarnnns, citizens of the United States, residing atthe city of East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifeboats, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is a lifeboat of the non capsizable and nonsinkable type. Numerous novelties and improvements are depicted in the drawings and will be pointed out in the specification and designated by the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the; interior of the craft lookingtowardthe rear;

and

Figure 4 is a similar view looking toward the bow.

' The'keel 1 is fastened by bolts 2 between flange 3 of the metal casing. 4', which forms the hull andnbulwarks and top of the mainbody of the boat.

The keel 1 passes through the concrete or similar ballast 5 and into the joists 6. The joists 6 are fastened to the posts 7 which have beveled ends 8, so as to fit the contour gt the interior of the hull and top of the oat.

WVithin the side walls of the boat and extending from the floor 9, fastened to the joists 6, to the ceiling or top of the boat, a panel-like wall 10 is attached to the posts 7 To the said panels 10 are attached air pipes 11 by means of pipe stays l2, fastened to the panels 10. To prevent the entrance of water through air pipes 11 stoppers 13 are provided. Normally these stoppers will be in the position shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, in which the pipes 11 are unstoppered, which allows air freely to enter through. pipes 11. In case the boat were rolling in a heavy sea or billows were breaking over it the insertion of stoppers 13 in pipes 11 would prevent the shipping of any water. In case the air supply becomes greatly LIFEBOAT.

1921. Serial No. 480,070.

diminished the stoppers 13 can be withv drawn. 7

Tables or benches lt'and a bed or cot 15 or other furniture may be provided, the same being preferably tightly fastened to the panels 10 or the end panels 16, so as to prevent battering the inside of the boat when the sea is rough. v

Afan 17 located within the boat exerts constant air suction to draw air through flexible tube 18 and through air float 19 and its inlet pipe 20. Float 19 is made of buoyant material and is made stout enough to resist any battering of it by the waves or the wind against'the bow or sides of the boat. The flexible tube 18 is likewise sheathed against such rough usagef By means of the air float 19 a constant supply of fresh pure air into the interior of the boat is assured regardless of the condition of the weather outside or the length of time that it is necessary to keep hatch 21 closed. Hatch 21 closes an opening 22 in the usual manner of hatches in marine construction, and is provided with hinges 23 and hand grasp 24. V

Windows 25, preferablyof the usual'bullse eye pattern, are provided in the front wall 26 of the b'ridge room 27. This room allows promenading as on a bridge and, also, a lookout for ships or help. Similar windows 28 are provided in stern wall 29. One of these windows 28 is located in the storeroom 30 and the other in a toilet 31. Heretofore in lifeboats of ordinary construction women have been much embarassed by the calls of nature in the presence of ,men. This construction provides a separate toilet room 31, the exit of which is to the ocean through a one way valve and obviates previous objections.

The helm or steermans wheel 32 is located in the bridge-room 27 and near one of the windows 25, so that the helmsman can see to steer. The helm 32 is connected by a tillerrope 33 to the rudders 34, of which there are two, one on each side of the boat.

Stairways 35' and 36 lead respectively to the floor 37 and bridge-room 27. The companionway 38 leads from the bridge-room 27 through opening 22 to the outside of the boat.

A suitable watertight water tank 39 may be provided underneath the storeroom 30, so that a great quantity of fresh water for drinking purposes may be stored in tank and, also, a great quantity of food and other necessary supplies may be stored in store room 30 the exigencies of the prospective sojourn in this lifeboat will presumably require.

This lifeboat is adapted for a variety of uses and may be made in sizes to suit different occasions. One or more of them may be kept on the deck of large vessels, and should at all times be amply provisioned in all ways for as many days as will probably be required to reach a port if not succored sooner.

The motive power may be from either a storage battery that energizes an electric motor and drives the mechanism that operates the propellor, or pair of propellers L0, or the said propellors *0 may be operated from the hand crank n, which drives the shaft on which gear l2 is mounted. The said shaft is journaled in the bearings 43, supported by standards it. Gear 2 drives gear a5 and with it shaft 46. A worm wheel 48 is mounted on shaft 4L6 and drives worm a8. lVorm as is keyed to shaft 49 and there by drives fan 17 Shaft 46 is journaled at 50 and again at 51 in the rear wall 29 of the storeroom 30. On the exterior of the boat is a sprocket pinion 52, which meshes with and drives sprocket chain 53 and therewith sprocket 54, mounted on shaft 57, to which pr-opellor lO is fixed. Bearings 56 and support shaft 57.

Ballustrade 58 protects from falling off platform or floor 37. Door 60 admits to the storeroom 30, the door 59 admits to the toilet 31.

It is to be understood that the entire construction of this craft is to be substantial and airtight throughout, except for the designated means fOr the admission of air.

Moreover, the boat will be equipped with a mast (not shown in the drawings), adapted to show a distress signal in the shape of a flag by day and a light by night, thus increasing the likelihood of succor at the earliest possible moment.

The fact that the keel 1 runs through the concrete ballast i3, and that the posts 7 do so also, and that the floor 9 is laid thereon and fastened to the joists 6 and posts 7 results in fastening the ballast 5 to. the bottom of the boat and, also, prevents movement of the interior framework relative to the exterior of the shell.

The arrangement of posts 7, joists 6, floor 9, and panels 1O, 16, and 61 provides an internal brace for the casing 4L, so as to prevent its collapsing or being staved in.

Having thus described this invention, we l'iereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claim.

To claim:

A lifeboat including a body comprising a metal casing substantially circular in cross section and having spaced edges on the bottom thereof, a keel mounted between said edges and having a portion thereof extended upwardly into the casing and a portion thereof extended downwardly below the easing, and ballast secured to the portion of the keel within said casing.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

MACK CHAMBERS. YANCY W. CHAMBERS. 

